Breakout Sessions

We’re excited to invite you to OCA's National Convention featuring a variety of breakout sessions. These sessions are free to attend, but we kindly ask that you RSVP in advance. This will help us get a headcount and ensure we can accommodate everyone comfortably.

Dive into the details of each session below. Please note that we will be adding more sessions in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for updates!

Building Your OCA Chapter from the Ground Up

Get a basic understanding and guidance on what is needed to function as an OCA chapter and bring it to its best. Reflect on your chapter’s strengths, goals, and the direction you’d like to see for your local AANHPI communities.

Sowing Our Seeds: Reclaiming Culture Through Farming

For years, farmers of color have faced discriminatory practices in agriculture, from being denied land ownership to receiving less government funding. Asian Americans make up less than 1 percent of the farming population, according to the U.S. Census of Agriculture.

Explore the agricultural, environmental, and socioeconomic impacts of laws such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the California Alien Land Law, which prohibited Asian Americans from owning land. Learn how Asian Americans in agriculture are organizing and building community around food and farming. Through this, we begin to grow an ecosystem where environmental justice is recognized in policymaking and as a means to cultivate collectives. Asian Americans are reclaiming their roots and culture by growing traditional foods and integrating food security practices for all.

AAPI Women in Non-Traditional Careers

Feature a panel of AAPI women with rich experiences in careers and industries that are not typically associated with AAPIs.

Leadership in Action: Building Media Savvy and Fundraising Strength through Crisis Response

Experts from the Vincent Chin Institute will present lessons learned from the media onslaughts and emergency fundraising following the Atlanta GA, Monterey Park CA, Bloomington IN, and Half Moon Bay CA hate crimes and shootings. They will provide copies of newly released Crisis Communication FAQs and Crisis Funding FAQs to participants. OCA chapters and allies can learn from past experiences to prepare our AAPI communities for possible crises, recognizing that political tensions and campaign rhetoric continue to inflame anti-Asian prejudice.

Repercussions of the SFFA v. Harvard Decision on Business Loans

Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on SFFA v. Harvard and UNC, Texas District Judge Pittman ruled in favor of white plaintiffs in Nunziard v. Minority Business Development Administration, striking down presumptions of disadvantaged status for racial minorities in applications for federal loans. Previously, a Tennessee district judge struck down SBA Loan presumptions for business applicants with racial minority backgrounds. The fallout from these decisions includes changes in the programs and limits on opportunities for minority businesses to qualify for loans. Speakers from the SBA and other federal programs will discuss what businesses should do to prepare for the further dismantling of minority programs. Business representatives will share the impact of these changes on the application process and their businesses. This panel will explore ways lenders can still provide financial support to AANHPI businesses and what the lending market will look like without minority presumptions.

Raising the Banner: AANHPI Elected Officials and Their Stories

Bring together a diverse group of leaders who champion equity, justice, and opportunity for AANHPI communities. These elected officials hold influential positions and work tirelessly to address the unique challenges faced by AANHPI populations.